BÊMAL – Where is our Yazidi Home?
10 Years of genocide against the Yazidis

The new documentary by Düzen Tekkal & David Körzdörfer.

August 3, 2024 marks the tenth anniversary of the Yazidi genocide. To commemorate this anniversary, journalist and human rights activist Düzen Tekkal and filmmaker David Körzdörfer are presenting their new documentary film ‘Bêmal – Where is our Yazidi Home?’.

‘Bêmal’ accompanies four pairs of siblings of Yazidi origin who sought refuge in Germany after the genocide in Iraq. Their personal stories provide deep insights into the traumas they suffered and their struggle for a new life. ‘Bêmal’ also deals with the new injustice suffered by Yazidi refugees in Germany: Deportations back to Iraq, where the genocide occurred. It is an important contribution to coming to terms with the genocide of the Yazidis and reminds us to take responsibility for those most in need of protection in our society.

These are stories that take place in Iraq and in Germany. Above all, the safe haven of Germany turns out to be only temporary, the last few years only a short reprieve from flight and uncertainty: although the German Bundestag officially recognized the genocide against the Yazidis as such in 2023, Yazidi survivors are being deported back to Iraq barely a year later, including the parents and siblings of Jana and Bascal, two of the film’s protagonists. They have to return to the place where their ordeal began and where there is still no security or right to exist for Yazidis.

Between the hope of return, the longing for peace, the fight for justice and the celebration of life and survival, ‘Bêmal’ is not only about the constant struggle for the existence of the Yazidis, but also about the inalienable core of being human: the urge for freedom and autonomy as well as the dignity of the individual.

The four siblings’ stories
After 9 years in ISIS captivity, Sawsan Alomar arrived in Germany in 2023. The Yazidi woman was sold several times by supporters of the terrorist militia and held captive and enslaved in various places in Iraq and Syria. Sawsan was found and freed after 8 years of captivity in a camp in Syria in 2022. Her sister Jihan Alomar was also held captive by the Islamic State for 10 months. After her liberation, Jihan was able to flee to Germany with part of her family in 2016. Her father and one of her brothers have been missing since 2014.

Layla and Tahsin Mirza fled from Iraq across the Mediterranean and arrived in North Rhine-Westphalia. Layla now works as a model – she wants to show that every woman can live her dream. Tahsin is a theatre teacher and comedian.

Bascal and Jana Kheyri also fled to Germany. Today, they are completing an elderly care apprenticeship in Bavaria. They have a residence permit, however, their parents and younger siblings were deported to Iraq.

Aiham was abducted as an infant and trained as a child soldier by the terrorist militia. His brother Anas was born on August 3, 2014 – the day of the genocide – and spent the first four years of his life in ISIS captivity. He never met his and Aiham’s mother. She is one of the thousands of Yazidi women who are still missing. Today, almost 15 and 10 years old, the brothers live with their uncle in Sharya, Iraq and continue to struggle with their trauma.

We sincerely thank all the people who made this documentary film possible and who, together with us, are amplifiers for the stories of the siblings, their families and numerous other people affected by the genocide.